Love Song
by extracoolpainter
Summary: Ivy has known her best friend Rye for years. What will happen when she starts to feel more? And what will happen if a huge rock is thrown into their relationship- The Hunger Games.


Chapter 1

I wake up to the hum of a hovercraft rushing over my house. They're here already? It must be really late. I sneak a peek out the window, shocked to see the sun almost at 12:30. Today's the day of my third reaping. I haven't gotten picked yet. But, the odds aren't in my favor. I'm the oldest and the only one eligible, so I had to take the tesserae. We are poor, living in the grain harvesting part of District 9. I had to get ready as fast as I could. Mom laid out an outfit for me. It is a blue and silver blouse, with embroidered flowers on it, and a pair of dark jeans. I frown at the shoes, silver heels. The rough terrain of our District will not suit these well. I put it on, and then go in front of the mirror to see how I look.

I wouldn't call myself beautiful even at the best of times. I'm just pretty, but quite skinny and a bit short for my age. I have blond hair, custom of the grain growers, which would be my family. I have two little brothers, and they're twins. "Ivy! Come down for breakfast!" I hastily sprint down in my outfit.

I practically inhale my breakfast. Cereal and skim milk. I frown at it, and then go outside to meet my best friend Rye. He's fifteen, and we met in the town square. He was off work and reading on a bench. He was thirteen, I was twelve. He had gorgeous brown hair and deep green eyes. I didn't like him more than a friend then. Now I do.

It takes me a lot of time to sort out any feelings at all for him. I'm not focusing as I traipse into our usual meeting place. The ground is really rough here! I can see him. I'm waving, and then I feel a loud snap, an excruciating pain in my ankle, and then I'm on the ground. Rye runs over and comes to help me up. He carries me to the rock where we always sit, which is also where his dopey yet adorable dog, Baguette, is sitting waiting for him. I pet his head.

'What happened to you?" "I must have slipped. These heels aren't the best for the ground." "Oh. I'm sorry. I hope it will be okay." I massage it, and it already feels better. "It feels fine now. You can put me down." "Oh. Okay. I didn't realize I was still holding you." His laugh is so beautiful.

We sit the rest of the morning talking about the past years of the games. There were certainly some very scary years. I don't know if he notices it, but I'm not paying attention at all. I'm too focused on his eyes. So deep green and extremely meaningful. I just look into them for the rest of the morning until a girl comes up.

"Rye, I need to talk to you." Oh, crap. That's his girlfriend. Monica. She's extremely mean, and I know for a fact she's cheating on him. But, he gets up anyways, and says, "See ya, Ivy." I hesitate for a moment, and then have an idea.

My dad has this spy camera built into a pen that he got from work. I nicked it a couple days ago, and now is the perfect time to use it. I discreetly push the record button, and I go, "Here's a gift on reaping day. It's just a pen, but it's a family heirloom. It represents District 9, because of the gold wheat on there. He nods, and then they're off.

I decide to just wait around for him to come back. I go home, and get another pen, identical but with no camera, and decide to replace his with this one.

He doesn't take long, and when he comes back, he appears to be holding something back. He looks almost troubled. I say, "Hey, I meant to give you this one. Dad messed with that one. He's such a geek." He gives it back, and I clip the other one on his pocket. "So, what happened. Or am I not allowed to know?" "Well, let's just say that she wanted to wish me good luck." "Oh. Well, I gotta get home to the twins to get them ready. This District's so weird." "Okay. I'll meet you here five minutes before?" "Yeah." He kisses me on the cheek and then walks off.

Okay, did he just kiss me? He definitely did. I stand there frozen until I get enough sense to come running home.

I press play on the pen. It records a podcast, not a video, but dad says he's working on it.

After it, I'm feeling in a state of complete shock. I replay it.

"Hey, so why did you want to talk to me?"

"Well, to wish you good luck, and to tell you that I'm breaking up with you."

"What? Why?"

"I'm the kind of girl that can't be tied down. You know that. Maybe some other time we can do something."

"No. I'm leaving, now. I'm going to go to a girl who won't break my heart like this, thank you very much."

I hear him laugh. She says, "Are you running off to Ivy? Is she your new fling?"

"Whatever she'll be won't be a fling. I don't treat girls like that."

I shut the camera off, and throw it down on the bed while in shock. He obviously likes me. He just doesn't want to admit it.


End file.
